Numerous powered devices utilize power over multi-pair Ethernet cables. The IEEE 802.3af-2003 Power over Ethernet (PoE) standard, ratified in June, 2003, defines a standardized approach by which power sourcing equipment (PSE) is able to provide a powered device (PD) with up to 15.4 watts of DC power over, for example, a category 5 (CAT 5) twisted pair communication cable. The IEEE 802.3at-2009 PoE standard, later ratified Sep. 11, 2009, defines a standardized PoE approach by which a powering sourcing device (PSE) is able to provide a powered device (PD) with up to up to 25.5 watts of DC power over, for example, a category 5 twisted pair communication cable.
A category 5 cable includes 8 wire connectors grouped into 4 wire-pairs. The PoE standards based approaches provide DC power over 2 out of the 4 wire-pairs included in the cable and such pairs are generally referred to as a PoE powered pair. A “pair of PoE taps” refers to the center taps of Ethernet magnetics used to couple and decouple power to and from the PoE powered pairs of a CATx cable. Therefore, a pair of PoE taps refers to a set of two taps with one tap being used for current delivery and a second tap being used for current return. Contemporary telecommunications systems can then utilize the remaining pairs in the cable as data lines, although, in some contemporary systems, power and data may be implemented on the same twisted pair. However, as telecommunications devices adapt to meet new communication demands, such devices may have different power needs or demands. For example, as more functionality is added to communication devices and systems, such devices and systems may include powered peripheral devices that couple with or are plugged into the main communication devices. Such peripheral devices will need additional power. Accordingly there is a need in the art for an improved method and system of delivering power to communication devices. There is also a need to have flexibility in such power delivery to respond to situations where additional power may be selectively needed or not needed.